Power Vs. Force

Approaching old age, I find so much to be thankful for, from good health to financial security, but most of all I am thankful for my son Dustin who finds his immigrant father’s plans and ideas worthy of his efforts to manage and grow.

This brings up the question of how to let go of power, which is the classic issue of all father and son relationships; so complex it is the subject of many Greek tragedies and Shakespearian plays. Adding to this complexity is the reality of our working together sixty hours a week during a pandemic; a dynamic that on its own can rapidly devolve into conflict.

After decades of study and preparation for a time like this, I have decided to invoke George Washington as a role model. Washington was immortalized, not because he was the best tactical fighter, since Alexander the Great, Napoleon and Eisenhower were better fighting generals. No, what made Washington eternal was his willingness and ability to cede force and thereby gain even more power.

The Egyptian Pharaoh had force, but Moses had power. The Romans had force, but Jesus had power. The British had force, but Gandhi had power. The question comes down to what is power, and how to tap into it?

No successful person on their deathbed wishes they had gained even more material wealth and held on to it longer. We need to learn to let go of our accumulated force, whether it is represented by our wealth, or the size of our army. Real power is represented by the impact of our ideas and ideals. Jesus, Lincoln, Gandhi and Martin Luther King were even willing to let go of their lives to advance their cause.

The 2005 launch of Highland community with its idealistic, if not utopian goals was an experiment with an uncertain outcome. Once the club’s financial security was cemented with the renovation of Highland’s attic and, indeed, the conversion of the entire building to City Club, the biggest question members would ask me was “what are your succession plans for our club?!”

The transition of power from me to Dustin, while arduous, has proceeded far better than either one of us might have reasonably expected, as evidenced by the fact that today Dustin is fully in charge of not only our day to day operations, but our long term expansion plans, proving once again that while force can be given, power must be earned.

We are past the tipping point. Dustin is now in charge and, with our succession plan nearly complete, Highland will be in good hands for another 43 years.

— Sina.